nuno1959

Hi Panther & thanks for your input, much appreciated ! I understand what you're saying & i intend to try things before committing to final cable lengths, etc… I just wanted to make sure i had it more or less ''sorted out'' mainly because doing the thing myself is a LOT of FUN but it's also a lot of work so better get it ''right-ish'' at first ;-) As a ''reward'' for chipping in ( or a punishment ?…LOL.. ) here's a couple links to some of the noises i make with them boxes…. [url="http://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-51578.php"]http://www.wikiloops...k-jam-51578.php[/url] [url="http://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-49035.php"]http://www.wikiloops...k-jam-49035.php[/url] Do disregard my crappy recording skills…….. but do check out this website, it totally rocks !! Everybody posts their stuff, then anyone can download it (legally.. ) & add to that their part on their instrument & re-upload it - this sometimes makes for very interesting results Cheers

Hi guys After playing with a TC Electronics Nova System for sometime now & having bought an Eventide Pitch & a Timefactor to add to it, the quantity of power supplies, cables, patch chords, etc.. made me decide it was time & now i'm building my pedal board.. After checking what's available i decided building it myself to my exact needs, goals being compact/light weight & w/ features as independent ''quickly detachable'' cable routing systems for the purpose made exact length audio/MIDI & power supply cables ( in case something fails/needs replacing/re-routing on the fly because of pedal fail etc !?.. ) ''sacrificial'' fused power panel mounted socket integral to the board ( cheapest to replace if one trips on chord or so.. instead of repair expensive power supply ?.. ) As i'm getting to the point of making the cables to connect the pedals, i want to make sure i'd get the right chain order for the best possible results & the fx chain i'm thinking of is : Boss plastic volume pedal ( less weight, compact.. ) -> Eventide Pitchfactor ( pitch shifters, octaves, ''wah'', harmoniser AND tuner, 1 less thing to carry.. ) -> TC Nova System ( compressor, overdrive/distortion, some chorus.. ) -> Eventide Timefactor ( delays & ''chorusy'' tones.. ) -> all controlled by a Tech21 MIDI Mouse to change presets on all three simultaneously I know i could have done without the MIDI Mouse but both the Eventide & the TC have quirky switching ways to change patches/presets + you need the external switches… nope.. not my cup of tea. In the immediate future i might be adding a tap tempo switch ? Don't know yet if necessary.. Does this sound about right ? I know there are many ways of connecting things around & one can do pretty much whatever but my reasoning is that pitch shifters/octaves/wah will benefit from the cleanest signal, then compression to smoothen things some, then overdrive/distortion & finally choruses & delays Thanks for your assistance & sorry for my long post ! ;-) Cheers Nuno

Hi guys Talk about reviving a dead thread but… i'm also on the market for a pedalboard, found this & i thought you might still (?.. ) be interested ? Construction quality seems amazing : [url="http://www.aclamguitars.cat/shop/en/"]http://www.aclamguitars.cat/shop/en/[/url]

Thanks MacDaddy I know the Digitech you're talking about : a friend has one & I've played with it for a while. Yes it is a very nice unit but ultimately it's in the same category of my previous Zoom B3, give or take a few notches ! They are both extremely practical units, very flexible, portable but not quite what i'm after ! :-( Upon further ''investigation'' & installing/checking out their respective softwares, my choice has narrowed down to either the Eventide Factor series or the Fractal Audio FX8, yet to be released or priced - although it's last posted price on Fractal's site is roughly 1500 $US with the extended 3 years warranty Eventide's editing software is obviously a joy to use, well laid out & second nature, one look at it & you just know where the functions are intuitively Fractal's is a bit more.. ''involved'' ? for lack of a better word. You've got to learn your way around but it still doesn't appear overly complicated I'll wait until it's released - should happen mid summer/early fall.. - try to listen to one & decide then which Thanks guys for the input Cheers

See ? Next time i'll know better.. ;-)

Right, that's a fine way to do it only i really don't need it : i set my effects on my board so that each bank has the patches i might use in a song. The Nova gives me 3 patches per bank & that's more than enough for me.. My problem is when it comes to edit them on my computer ( i really don't like the Nova's UI.. ) or want to save the patches that i tweaked or built from scratch to guarantee i won't loose them if ….. & that's where the Nova simply falls flat on it's face : TC never even bothered to make available an editor for PC or Mac & the one that exists is thanks to the dedication of people who needed one but it's really convoluted ways to operate it After banging my head repeatedly against the wall, all i managed to do was to update the Nova's firmware & nothing else - on 2 different computers so it wasn't even a question of something wrong on that end, you know what i mean ?

Hi EL Within reason !? Indeed, what was i thinking, right ?…LOL... Thanks for the TC link but man, trust me when i say i DEVOURED every last bit of info regarding the Nova but at the end of the day it's still a clunky piece of hardware which sometimes does change or save presets sometimes it just won't slowly starting to reveal it's age/limitations - in contrast with the Zoom B3 which was TOTALLY plug & play, tweak/save/whatever & be done with it, even if costing 4 times less.. - even though the Nova outputs some seriously GOOD quality FX, very nice indeed but it ends up being a pain to use To be honest until now from what i've gathered, if Fractal would accept a trade in for a detested family member, i'd be at their door tomorrow but… ;-) so for the time being & mostly thanks to the plug & play nature of their pedals, i'd say so far Eventide Factor's got the lead... On the other hand i could start saving & then go for the Fractal FX8 board, i still need to check out exactly how their editor behaves in Mac OS X

[font=Helvetica][size=6]Hi guys[/size][/font] [font=Helvetica][size=6] I'm VERY fond of using FX on my bass - although i love any kind of bass tone ( within reason ! ) fact is FX are part of my thing : they sing to me & open up whole other possibilities..[/size][/font] [font=Helvetica][size=6]Plus where is it written a bass MUST sound like a b-boom boom boom, ''traditional bass'' ? To me it's all about having as rich a sonic palette available as possible then try to get the sound/tone that suits the tune best in my head & in my heart…[/size][/font] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][font=Helvetica] [/font]Right now i'm using a TC Electronic Nova System FX unit, originally meant for guitar, which has some excellent quality FX but lacks a couple of VERY important features :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]1 - No USB connectivity + FX patch editor ( just VERY clunky workarounds.. )[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]2 - No way of storing/backing up patches i tweaked over time[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]On top of that, despite a brilliant build quality & very practical compact format, it doesn't have a nice user interface - compared to my previous Zoom B3 unit it's REALLY clunky.. & I'm becoming tired of it ![/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]So, G.A.S struck & am thinking about replacing it but not having a physical music store in Portugal where to compare these units side by side, i'm limited to Google, YouTube, reviews & opinions/experiences of fellow musicians.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]Because i REALLY like the convenience of being able to store patches ( i HATE tweaking pedal knobs between tunes or limiting myself to 1 chorus/delay/distortion/whatever sound.. ) my selection boils down to these, which i'm planning to buy one at a time because they cost ''mucho dinero'' :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]1 - Strymon Mobius, Strymon Timeline & eventually a Strymon Big Sky, each w/ it's own Multiswitch ( or equivalent.. ) for easier use, here[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.thomann.de/pt/search_dir.html?oa=prd&sw=strymon"]http://www.thomann.d...=prd&sw=strymon[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.strymon.net/mobius/"]http://www.strymon.net/mobius/[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.strymon.net/timeline/"]http://www.strymon.net/timeline/[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.strymon.net/bigsky/%20-%20scroll%20down%20the%20pages%20&%20check%20the"]http://www.strymon.net/bigsky/ - [/url] scroll down the pages & check the videos of each preset[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.strymon.net/multiswitch/"]http://www.strymon.net/multiswitch/[/url] & [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XzuWJPi11c"]https://www.youtube....h?v=6XzuWJPi11c[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]2 - Eventide ModFactor, TimeFactor & PitchFactor + Eventide H9 control/editor app, here :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.thomann.de/pt/eventide_efeitos_para_baixo_e_guitarras.html?oa=prd"]http://www.thomann.d...ras.html?oa=prd[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="https://www.eventideaudio.com/products/stompboxes/chorus-flanger/modfactor"]https://www.eventide...anger/modfactor[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]quick overview of all 3 - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpzYJtwPPRE"]https://www.youtube....h?v=QpzYJtwPPRE[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]quick overview oh the Control app - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V07NNTgxc_Y"]https://www.youtube....h?v=V07NNTgxc_Y[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]3 - An Eventide H9 Max Harmonizer which has most the FX of the above Eventide units, SUPER compact unit which potentially replaces all three ( at a lesser price.. ) but i'm queasy about a purely software based FX unit - what would happen if/when it stops being supported, etc.. plus if later i want to sell it, any further FX algorythms purchased won't be included ( licenses tied to my account.. ) which makes it kind of an expensive paper weight, here :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.thomann.de/pt/eventide_h9_max_harmonizer.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._harmonizer.htm[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]4 - Finally this baby which makes me feel as if struck by lightning, died & gone to bass playing heaven !!! If only someone here has had access to one & could tell me if it works on bass, has a great editor & friendly interface :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="http://www.fractalaudio.com/p-fx8-multi-effects-pedalboard.php"]http://www.fractalau...-pedalboard.php[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]To whatever i end up choosing i might add a Mad Professor Snow White Auto Wah :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUwSURWrvOo"]https://www.youtube....h?v=rUwSURWrvOo[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]plus an expression pedal, a volume pedal & maybe a compressor pedal + tuner ? Remains to be seen...[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]At this point & because Eventide provide a free & VERY effective/easy editing/saving ( librarian ?.. ) software i'm leaning towards the Factor pedals since the Strymons lack those features but i was interested in hearing from those of you who might have one or several of these pedals not so much about their sonic quality but specially how intuitive they are to edit, etc...[/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]Sorry for such a lengthy post & many thanks for any pointers & suggestions you might have/share - after all, this means quite an expense & i would like to get it at least ''semi-right'' from the word go.. - much appreciated !![/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]Cheers guys ![/size][/font][/color] [color=#11053B][font=Verdana][size=6]P.S.: Sorry for posting links to Thomann but i don't work for them, am in no way affiliated to them, it's just the place i buy most my stuff from[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]Hi guys[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]just dropping a line to say that after LOTS of reading, searching, etc….i ended up buying the SPL Crimson[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3] [/size][/font][/color][color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]It sits on my desk as we speak & is VERY unobtrusive despite being quite big & i LOVE it's form factor plus the fact it is Class Compliant, meaning no drivers to install to get it to ''play nice'' w/ my iMac !! [/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]One thing though :[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]I don't know exactly how to describe this but i find my Cambridge Audio DacMagic was ''more musical'' than the Crimson just playing music from my iTunes library - or could this be just a more ''revealing nature'' as in more unforgiving of not so perfectly recorded albums ?[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]The sound is DEFINITELY fuller than the DacMagic, bass having plenty more weight & ''body'' but very controlled, not all over the place however the DacMagic made everything sound…..''musical'' is the only word that occurs to me to describe it…[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]Comparing it to my FiiO headphone amp, it just wipes the floor w/ the FiiO : despite the FiiO's generous power & nice, musical sound, the Crimson is steps above it in everything - power, detail, finesse, no treble harshness, full bodied & controlled bass - real nice !! My [url="http://www.gearslutz.com/board/sennheiser/hd215-g1752/"]Sennheiser HD215[/url] sound GREAT through it & NOT fatiguing at all...[/size][/font][/color] [color=#1A0A53][font=Verdana][size=3]All in all, i'm pretty happy & can't wait to start recording, i'm SURE it WILL BE MUCH, MUCH BETTER than my Zoom B3 interface… ;-)[/size][/font][/color]

Hi guys Thanks to all for adding to this In the meantime on other Forums where i have posted this same question ( Gearslutz among others.. ) various people have brought to my attention a machine i had never even heard off before but according to them & all the reviews i've read so far seems to be becoming my favourite : the SPL Crimson To be honest, a friend of mine has the Duet2, nothing to complain about it soundwise BUT…it has a few features that are kind of annoying to me & given it0s price, one is already SO CLOSE to units like the Apollo Solo for example Choices, choices - so many toys, so little money & SO LITTLE TIME !!…LOL... Anyway, regardless what i buy, i'll make sure i'll post back my findings Cheers guys

Hey Ambient Just heard your piece, it's NICE, really nice !! Congratulations Mine is rather banal by comparison…. ;-)

Hi Ambient Thanks for chipping in, appreciated ! I HAVE looked at the Scarlett range & yes it would be very inexpensive since i don't need more than a couple of inputs max. One thing that interests me particularly is do you know if the Scarlett 2i2 can drive my Sennheisers HD215 with some ''OOOOMMPH'' ? You don't happen to have a clip of the Chapman stick recordings do you ? Here's one of mine, enjoy : http://www.wikiloops.com/backingtrack-jam-19836.php Cheers

Hi Paul 5 I've looked up the ''Thunderbolt road'' & didn't REALLY find much except a bunch of FW interfaces which CAN be plugged into the Thunderbolt ports via an adapter - all in all a bit dismaying to be honest... Mind you, don't get me wrong - all i have works nicely & VERY stable ( NEVER had a single issue.. ) but since i got a refund for the FiiO & have a buyer for the DacMagic.. I am looking at the RME website as we speak though… ;-)

@Dad3353 Thanks but i'm looking for an upgrade on what i have at the moment & those seem to me as ''entry level'' gear if that's the correct term, As for the Focusrite, i'll definitely have a look at those, thanks ! ;-) @Lowdown I was kidding when i mentioned USB3 - i'm SURE the RME is a stunning piece of machinery but a ''LITTLE BIT'' out of my budget !!…LOL…having said that i will have a look at their range The problem is there are SO MANY interfaces out there & i was hoping for personal experiences with brand A, B or C, preferably when working w/ Macs So far & partly thanks to this approach of mine AND the people in the forums i subscribe to, i've been able to dodge the awful bullet of buying something just to spend endless time troubleshooting this, that or the other or googling tons of pages to sift through & so on - something which p****s me off like nobody's business in the computer world regardless which way i end up going i'll make sure i'll post back my findings, maybe it helps somebody else cheers guys

Hi Dad3353 Thanks for your input & trust me, i know EXACTLY how you feel : i BARELY make any sense of it myself !! As much as ''Plug'n Play'' is thrown left, right & centre as the IN THING these days, fact is we're still a LONG WAY AWAY from it when it comes to anything computer audio related ;-) Why can't it all be just like a piece of Hi-Fi equipment which is enough to plug it into one another & PRESTO !? I can't help feel the day the industry produces such ''peripherals'' for lack of a better word, they'll sell gazillions more... In the meantime here we are, TRYING to make sense of it… ;-)

OH guys, have a heart ! just tell me then where can i buy ''my pwecious'' ( USB3 preferably.. ) !! I'm sure it could do away with ALL my boxes & then some You cheeky buggers ;-) ...LOL…..

Sorry but…i'm afraid i don't quite get it !? english is NOT my native language.. In case i didn't explain myself properly : One interface that can be a DAC between iMac & Roksan amp ( when i listen to iTunes music or recorded stuff in GB.. ) a headphone amp AND an audio interface when i need to ''input'' my bass to record it

[color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Hi guys[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Let me apologise if this is not the correct forum to post this but…here's hoping someone might have some good advice ? Thank you… ;-)[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]i currently have a 27'' iMac 2013 connected to a Cambridge Audio DacMagic via optical + a FiiO Qogir E09 headphone amp, the lot then plugged into my Roksan Kandy K2 amp/B&W floorstanding speakers - this is mainly used either playing back music from iTunes or GarageBand after i recorded something[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]On the other hand when i record my bass or guitars to GarageBand, i use my Zoom B3 which besides being an effects box is also a USB audio interface[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The whole thing sounds rather nice to be honest but, since my FiiO has developed a flaw & Amazon is refunding my purchase + i have someone who would buy my DacMagic for a reasonable price, it would be a golden opportunity to upgrade all these bits & bobs AND reduce the number of cables & wall warts at the same time, without spending a gazillion £,$ or € & preferably while getting a better audio quality at the same time[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]The Interfaces i'm considering as replacements are :[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]1 - Apogee Duet 2[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]2 - TC Electronic Impact Twin[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]3 - Lexicon iOnix 42[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Portability IS NOT san issue - it will all stay put at home[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Good, powerful headphone amp IS important - the headphones i use are Sennheiser HD215 [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- As a replacement for my Zoom B3 effects i have a TC Electronic Nova System which despite being aimed at guitars, i have tweaked to provide REALLY GOOD quality effects for my active basses - both Spector ReBops in 4 & 5 string[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]- Driverless/Class Compliant (?..) would be best ? Second best would be Driver's quality/stability [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Any help/suggestions would be MOST welcome & if it's class compliant even better !?[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=verdana, geneva, lucida,]Thanks in advance for your patience[/font][/color]